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AUDIENCE SCORE

Vanishing On 7th Street Photos

Movie Info

From director Brad Anderson (Session 9, Transsiberian, The Machinist) comes VANISHING ON 7TH STREET, a terrifying, apocalyptic thriller that taps into one of humankind's most primal anxieties: fear of the dark. An unexplained blackout plunges the city of Detroit into total darkness, and by the time the sun rises, only a few people remain-surrounded by heaps of empty clothing, abandoned cars and lengthening shadows. A small handful of strangers that have survived the night (Hayden Christensen, Thandie Newton, John Leguizamo and newcomer Jacob Latimore) each find their way to a rundown bar, whose gasoline-powered generator and stockpile of food and drink make it the last refuge in a deserted city. With daylight beginning to disappear completely and whispering shadows surrounding the survivors, they soon discover that the enemy is the darkness itself, and only the few remaining light sources can keep them safe. As time begins to run out for them, darkness closes in and they must face the ultimate terror. -- (C) Magnolia

Anderson does a lot with very little - a wavering light, a patch of darkness - and Jaswinski's script tries to break up the stage-bound monotony with a few well-timed (if not particularly informative) flashbacks.

Brad Anderson's creepily effective low-budget thriller may not have a punch line worthy of your typical "Twilight Zone" episode, but it otherwise gets the job done in under an hour and a half with a good cast.

Audience Reviews for Vanishing On 7th Street

Hearing mixed things about Vanishing on 7th street, I didn't expect much from this film, but I was pleasantly surprised. I found myself enjoying more than I should, and though the film has its fair share of flaws, still manages to be a worthwhile horror film to watch if you have nothing else to watch. Brad Anderson's taut direction keeps you engaged, and there are quite a few tense moments throughout. Now, Vanishing on 7th Street isn't great cinema, but it's a fun picture to watch to kill time. This is worth a watch if you enjoy mindless entertainment and if you don't mind a film with an average story. I was surprised that the film was quite good, and despite a few areas in the film that's weak, the film manages to be a fun, entertaining film that is far better than you might think. Vanishing on 7th Street is not a great movie, but it's far better than many other genre films. The film does have a few areas where it could have been improved upon, most notably dialogue, which at times makes you cringe. However, the idea behind the film is interesting, and it makes for a worthwhile viewing. Even with its flaws, the film is a fun popcorn horror thriller that keeps you guessing, and leaves a lot to the imagination to keep you guessing of what is really going on. Sure the performances are questionable, but the essence of the film is what keeps you involved. With good direction, and interesting story and average performance, Vanishing on 7th Street is a taut, thrilling horror yarn that is underrated. This film won't be a genre classic by any means, but it's one that deserves to be seen by diehard fans of the genre, even with its flaws, it still is far better than other recent horror films. Give this one a shot, it's pretty good for what it tries to accomplish, but at the same time, it leaves a bit to be desired and it never realizes its potential, which I think it's a shame because this film really could have stood out, but as it is, it's an underrated horror film that is an entertaining guessing game from state to finish.

Alex roy

Super Reviewer

I guess we now know where the so-so-but-still-entertaining 2011 movie "Into the Darkness" got it's premise: Brad Anderson's obscure "Vanishing on 7th Street." Anderson's other endeavors "The Machinist" (Hey, Christine Bale can get really skinny!), Session 9 (yes, abandoned mental health institutions are very creepy!) and TransSiberian (don't trust the suave Spanish guy or the Russians!) are all pretty good. And the premise of this flick is also decent. BUT ... SPOILER ALERT, and, CAVEAT! If you haven't seen the movie, watch it before you read my review. And if you have never seen the classic "Ghost" or don't know what "The Rapture" is, you'll probably really enjoy this flick. If this applies to you, go here for a good review: http://www.fearnet.com/news/review/tiff-2010-review-vanishing-7th-street
The premise starts out promising. Nearly everybody disappears at one point leaving just their clothes behind. The "survivors" need to stay in the light which continues to dwindle as the movie progresses (batteries don't last that long, "daytime" gets shorter and shorter).
Then, it get's very derivative. The ominous shadows which constantly encroach the antagonists sometimes appear as human figures. Anderson clearly saw the classic movie "Ghost," and the "shadow-monsters" have the same look-and-feel and ominous groans as "Ghost's" shadow-monsters had as they dragged the bad guys to hell. Then Thandie Newton's character starts praying and the shadow monsters retreat. People disappear and leave their clothes behind and that doesn't ring a "religious" bell? If you don't remember "The Rapture," it was an evangelistic (and absurd) belief that God will whisk the virtuous to heaven wherever they may be while leaving the rest of the planet to rot in hell. Well, I guess most of the planet is virtuous given that the majority of people get "beamed up" leaving their clothes behind, and a handful of folks are left to fight off the shadow-monsters. And if you are still unconvinced, why was the only survivor a kid who curled up in a church and the only other person left was a little girl (the new "Adam and Eve" to populate the planet). And they road off into the sunset, I mean, "shadows," together.

Mark Beckford

Super Reviewer

I guess we now know where the so-so-but-still-entertaining 2011 movie "Into the Darkness" got it's premise: Brad Anderson's obscure "Vanishing on 7th Street." Anderson's other endeavors "The Machinist" (Hey, Christine Bale can get really skinny!), Session 9 (yes, abandoned mental health institutions are very creepy!) and TransSiberian (don't trust the suave Spanish guy or the Russians!) are all pretty good. And the premise of this flick is also decent. BUT ... SPOILER ALERT, and, CAVEAT! If you haven't seen the movie, watch it before you read my review. And if you have never seen the classic "Ghost" or don't know what "The Rapture" is, you'll probably really enjoy this flick. If this applies to you, go here for a good review: http://www.fearnet.com/news/review/tiff-2010-review-vanishing-7th-street
The premise starts out promising. Nearly everybody disappears at one point leaving just their clothes behind. The "survivors" need to stay in the light which continues to dwindle as the movie progresses (batteries don't last that long, "daytime" gets shorter and shorter).
Then, it get's very derivative. The ominous shadows which constantly encroach the antagonists sometimes appear as human figures. Anderson clearly saw the classic movie "Ghost," and the "shadow-monsters" have the same look-and-feel and ominous groans as "Ghost's" shadow-monsters had as they dragged the bad guys to hell. Then Thandie Newton's character starts praying and the shadow monsters retreat. People disappear and leave their clothes behind and that doesn't ring a "religious" bell? If you don't remember "The Rapture," it was an evangelistic (and absurd) belief that God will whisk the virtuous to heaven wherever they may be while leaving the rest of the planet to rot in hell. Well, I guess most of the planet is virtuous given that the majority of people get "beamed up" leaving their clothes behind, and a handful of folks are left to fight off the shadow-monsters. And if you are still unconvinced, why was the only survivor a kid who curled up in a church and the only other person left was a little girl (the new "Adam and Eve" to populate the planet). And they road off into the sunset, I mean, "shadows," together.

Mark Beckford

Super Reviewer

A very interesting premise i think . .lets see the Dark kills you? I guess it wasnt too bad. Wasnt too original and Hayden wooden actor Christensen still cant act. Watch this one when really bored and ready to go to sleep :)